ATLANTA- State Representatives Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta) and Roger Williams (R-Dalton) announced today that they are voluntarily taking one furlough day per month as members of the Georgia House of Representatives for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2010.
“In these difficult times it is important for members of the Georgia General Assembly to both lead by example and to share in the budget cuts that have become necessary,” said Representative Dickson. “I am convinced that as we require furloughs of state employees and teachers that we must be furloughed as well. I am deeply concerned about the impact the economy has had on so many citizens in our state and particularly in the three counties that are part of my district. The General Assembly has worked hard to be good stewards of the state’s resources and will continue to work to assist citizens as they cope with the economy.”
“I have always hated the idea of furloughs, but I believe that in tough economic times that it is the lesser of the two evils,” said Representative Williams. “It is better to be furloughed than laid off. It is also hard to ask state employees, teachers, and state troopers to take furlough days if we, as state legislators, are unwilling to do so.”
Reps. Dickson and Williams voluntarily took one furlough day per month between August and December of 2009. At the end of the current fiscal year, they will have taken a total of 11 furlough days. All members participating in the furlough program completed a form that gives the Legislative Fiscal Office permission to dock their pay.
The legislator furlough days will be in addition to the 8% cut in appropriations the General Assembly voted to give itself in Fiscal Year 2010, plus any further cuts that may be needed to balance the current year’s budget, which concludes June 30, 2010. To date, the state has cut spending by $3.7 billion – a 17.7% reduction from the previous year’s budget.
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